Explore. Dream. Discover.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
--Sarah Frances Brown

Above: Lawrence Ross snowkiting across the frozen Twin Lakes near Leadville, CO.

on top of it all

At an elevation of 10,200 feet above sea level, Leadville, CO is America's highest city. This old silver mining town sits in the shadow of Colorado's highest mountain, Mt. Elbert, near the headwaters of the Arkansas River. The colorful and quaint downtown, which was built up quickly after its founding in 1878, remains a beautiful place to visit.

Click here for webcam views.

the mountains are calling

Despite all I have seen and experienced, I still get the same simple thrill out of glimpsing a tiny patch of snow in a high mountain gully and feel the same urge to climb toward it. 
--Edmund Hillary

Above: The Arkansas River in Western Fremont County with the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the distance. 

San Luis Lakes

On your way to or from your visit to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, be sure to stop off at the San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area. It offers great views of the dunes and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and an opportunity to view birds and other wildlife.  For a trail map, click here. 

Click here to visit the official website.

Robison Mansion

The Robison Mansion was built in 1885 by Lyman Robison, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune in the silver mines of Leadville. Though his fortune was made in Leadville, Robison's wife, Mary, wanted a home away from the bitter cold winters. The sprawling 6,000 plus square foot residence sits on 3.5 acres on the south banks of the Arkansas River, and today is the setting for weddings, private gatherings and community events.

For more on the history of this elegant home, click here.  To visit the official website for the home, click here.